Brassiere



y 1962 A. P. RAMSELL 3,033,206

BRASSIERE Filed June 5, 1958 INVENTOR. Alberfa P. Ramse/I United States Patent 3,033,206 BRASSTERE Alberta 1. Ramsell, 500 Grace St., Capitola, Calif. Filed June 5, 1958, Sci. No. 740,146 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-484) The present invention relates to brassieres; and, in more particular, to a brassiere having a two part construction in which the cups are of somewhat conventional shape but function other-wise, and associated therewith as a semiseparate but principal part of the complete brassiere, a relatively stifi breast support band-ledge which acts to form and support the breasts without constriction thereof. In the prior art, the forming of the breasts to the proper anatomical shape has been attempted by constriction thereof. This has been done by holding or forcing the breasts against the chest. This results in lowered blood circulation, malfunctioning glands, stretching and distortion of the natural form, and, often, disease. Holding or forcing the breasts against the chest, either lightly or heavily, in time, stretches the superficial fascia, flattens and spreads the breasts, reduces muscular tone, and results in an unnatural shape thereof.

Thus it is an object of the present invention to devise a brassiere that will support the breasts in their natural form, and to do such without abnormal constriction thereof.

A further object of the present invention is the designing of a brassiere that may be used for forming and molding the breasts to their proper shape when they have been distorted by improper support means.

Another object of the invention is to design a brassiere that has a breast support member and a breast covering member, said members being separate in structure and function.

It is, also, an object of the invention to devise a breast supporting member that is held in breast supporting position without inward pressure on the breast.

The aforementioned defects of the prior art are remedied and these objects achieved when a brassiere embodying the present invention is properly proportioned and fitted to the female body. Such a brassiere will be briefly described by naming the parts thereof after and relating them to the regions of the body surfaces which such parts contact when such brassiere is properly proportioned and fitted to the female body.

A brassiere of the present invention has two main parts, the breast cups made of lightweight fabric shaped to conform to and to lightly fit the breasts, and a bandledge part which encompasses the chest and supports the breasts. The band-ledge is the principal part of the brassiere to which an outside of which the cups are attached. The brassiere has symmetrical halves with respect to the median plane of the wearer. Each half of the brassiere has an inframammalis hand held to the inframammalis surface region and extended by a portion thereof over the pectoris lateralis to the back of the chest where an elastic tie extends, generally, across the infrascapularis or scapularis and mediana to join the halves together at the back of the person. The two halves are joined between the breasts and over the sternalis on a line diagonal to the length of the bands so that the sternalis juncture forms an upward pointed V.

Joined to and extending along the top edge of each of the band halves, the inframarnmalis and pectoris lateralis portions, is a suspensory ledge, or shelf. The juncture of band and shelf is placed along the juncture of the mammalis and the inframammalis. Both the band and the shelf are made of a stiff fabric such as a light canvas or a similarly stiff laminated fabric. The band and the shelf are joined on a relatively flexible line so that the 3,033,206 Patented May 8, 1962 shelf may easily bend with respect to the band, and the two shelves, right side and left side, join on an extension of the sternalis diagonal of the band. Each shelf extends outward and upward from the juncture of the mammalis and the inframammalis about half the distance to the breast nipple. Each shelf is widest at the juncture of the the mammalis and the pectoris lateralis or thereabove, tapers slightly to the sternalis juncture, and tapers out at about the juncture of the pectoris lateralis and the infrascapularis. Each shelf has a strap with one end secured to the point of the sternalis V and its other end secured to the upper edge of the shelf at its widest part. Each of these straps, generally, follows the upper edge of a reast. From the midpoint of each breast strap, a shoulder strap passes over the shoulder and down the back to have its other end secured to the band along the infrascapularis portion thereof.

The bands and the shelves, when laid flat on a table, form a V with the two halves joined together on the sternal line. The V shape causes the shelves to conform to the lower portions of the breasts when the bandledge is applied to the person. The sternal portions will extend upward between the breasts and the breast straps will generally follow the upper and side edges of breasts.

Pieces of light weight cloth are formed into breast cups, and each breast is covered with such a cup. The top edge of each cup is secured to the adjacent shoulder strap, the cups are joined together over the sternalis, and and extension of each cup is joined to the lower edge of the pectoris lateralis portion of the band. The infram-ammalis and mammalis portions of the cup are free of the bands and shelves.

Having mentioned some of the defects of the prior art devices, some of the objects of the present invention, and given a brief description of the present invention, an embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a brassiere embodying the present invention as it would appear when properly applied to a female person.

UgGIURE 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIG- FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a portion of the bands and shelves of the present invention when laid out flat. A band-ledge 11 lies fiat, as seen inFIGURE 3, when its parts are sewn together. Each band-ledge is shown made-up of five separate pieces which are joined together, the left and right inframammalis bands 12, 13; the suspensory ledges 14, 15, or shelves; and an elastic back tie 16. One end of the tie and the adjacent end of the band are provided with cooperating hooks and eyes 17 for selectively securing these ends together. The inframammalis bands and the ledges are cut from a stiff fabric such as a light weight canvas, 1.5 to 4 ounces, or a laminated fabric of which the inner side is a soft flannel. The bands are almost straight when flat but the top edge of each inframammalis portion is slightly arched and the bottom edge has, over the pectoris lateralis, a depending cup edge strip 18 to which a breast cup is secured. Each band is secured to its ledge by cross stitching and a piece of light tape to make a joint 19 between the band and the ledge, which joint is easily flexed as compared with the flexibility of the band and ledge material.

The included angle at the eternal juncture 21 between the lines formed by the joints 19 when the band-ledge 11 is flat is about degrees for the smallest brassiere sizes, chest size and breast size. as the breast size increases. The size of the chest has little, if any, effect on this included angle. As the breast This included angle decreases greater cupping of the ledge and to bring the sternal juncture higher between the breasts. This may require some increase in the band and ledge lengths.

The band-ledge 11 is fitted to the person so that the joint 19 is, generally, on the juncture of the mammales and the inframammales, and so that the sternalis juncture 21 extends upward between the breasts, and the ledge conforms to the curve of the breasts. Each ledge is wide enough to extend upward about half the distance to the breast nipple. The widest part 22 of each ledge is near the mammalis and pectoris lateralis juncture. From here, the ledge tapers to the end of the band at about the juncture of the pectoris lateralis and the infrascapularis. The elastic back tie 16 is stressed enough to snugly hold the hand against the chest. Downward slipping of the band-ledge is prevented by shoulder straps 23, 24 and ledge straps 25, 26. One end of each shoulder strap is secured to a band near the back end thereof. The other end of each shoulder strap is adjustably secured by .a buckle 28 to the middle of its respective ledge strap. Each ledge strap has its two ends secured to the top edge of one of the suspensory ledges 14, each end at the side of the breast supported by such ledge, and each strap, generally, following the upper edges of one of the breasts. Generally, the two ledge straps meet over the sternalis. Usually the lengths of the shoulder straps are made adjustable, and the lengths of the ledge straps may be adjustable. The above described band-ledge, and its back tie and straps constitute the principal part of the brassiere. These are the parts that shape and support the breasts.

The breast cups 29, 30 are made of any suitable material, usually a soft flexible fabric which may be embellished to suit the taste of a wearer; and are shaped to conform to a particular breast and bust size, as is the band-ledge. The cups are tied together by a sternalis gusset 31, and an extension 33, 34 over the pectoris lateralis and the inframammalis at each side. The sternalis gusset lies over the sternalis and the extensions terminate at the back ends of the inframammalis bands and are joined thereto along the band cup strips 18. The cups and the extensions cover the band-ledge 11. The upper edge of each cup is upwardly pointed and at this upper point is detachably joined by means of a hook 38 to a tab 39 which is located between each ledge strap and its shoulder strap buckle 28. Each tab may have therealong a series of loops or openings in which the hook 38 may be inserted for adjustment of the cup with respect to its shoulder strap and ledge strap. The breast cups and their extensions are in much the form of a conventional brassiere. In fact, the band-ledge 11 constitutes an addition to the conventional brassiere for the performance of functions which the conventional brassiere is not able to effect.

The brassiere of the present invention may be used for either the enlargement of the breasts or for the support and control of full breasts.

In the use of the brassiere for the enlargement of the breasts, the shoulder straps are placed over the shoulders, the inframammalis band is placed below and contiguous the breasts, and the back tie secured so that the band lies fiat and snug against the body. The cup hooks 38 are disengaged from the straps. Each breast is centered in the triangle of its ledge strap. One hand of the wearer holds the band-ledge at a pectoris lateralis portion while the other hand gently brings flesh forward from under the arm to within the triangle of the ledge strap.

This placement action is repeated several times for each breast at each adjustment of the brassiere to obtain maximum development. Next, one hand of the wearer holds the inframammalis band in place below a breast while the other hand is placed inside of the ledge and is cupped under the breast. The fiesh is then brought up and over the inframammalis band. This action is repeated at each adjustment. After this shaping of the breasts, the cups are raised and the hook of each is placed in an opening in the shoulder strap tabs 39 which will fit the cups to the breasts so as to lightly cover them. The support and shaping of the breasts is a function of the band-ledge 11 and not of the cups.

Once the breasts have been shaped as above described, the band-ledge will give them the full support which they should have, and will hold them in the desired form and position. The inframammalis band fits securely against the chest below the breasts. The joint 19 between the inframammalis bands and the ledges being very flexible with respect to the bands and the ledges, allows the joint to bear against the juncture of the inframammalis and the mammalis of the wearer, and prevents the breasts from slipping down inside of the bands. Each ledge bears against the lower portion of a breast and rounds to its shape. There is no inward pressure holding the breasts against the chest to distort the breasts from their natural intended form. There is no pressure which reduces blood circulation. This will result in healthy bust tissue.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and use, I claim:

1. A brassiere, comprising: a pair of breast cups, a pair of inframammalis bands, each band having a sternal end and a scapular end and an upper, or mammalar, edge, each band adapted to fit against the chest of a woman below and adjacent one of her breasts and of a length to extend from her sternalis to over her pectoris lateralis, means for joining together the sternal ends of said bands on a diagonal to said bands, said diagonal adapted to lie over her sternalis; a back tie joining to gether the scapular ends of said bands, said tie adapted to extend across her back; a pair of breast support ledges, each band and ledge being made of a stilf material, each ledge having a sternal end and a scapular end and upper and lower edges, and each ledge being of a Width to extend from substantially the lower edge of said breast cups to about half the distance to the apex of said cups; means for joining together the sternal ends of said ledges on a diagonal to said ledges; and means for joining the lower edges of said ledges to the mammalar edges of said bands so that the diagonals of said bands and ledges are in end to end relationship to form one continuous diagonal to said ledges and bands, the means for joining said bands and ledges forming a joint therebetween which is relatively flexible as compared with the stiffness of said material.

2. In the combination of claim 1 in which all of the lower edges of said ledges are joined to the mammalar edges of said bands by means of said relatively flexible joint.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,048,638 McKeefrey July 31, 1936 2,470,847 Gluckiu May 24, 1949 2,516,749 Brady July 25, 1950 2,560,706 Spetalnik July 17, 1951 

